Tag Archives: North Dakota

Abortion as a Political, Philosophical, and Theological Issue: Connecting a New Society at an Orthodox Seminary with Orthodox Christians in North Dakota

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North Dakota has recently passed legislation restricting abortion.  Although, in part, it draws a line at a “heartbeat,” which does not define when conception occurs and allows for “the morning after pill,” and certainly does not eliminate any and all(early) abortions, quite a few have reacted against it.  Likewise, there have been objections to the bill requiring an abortion doctor to have admission privileges at a local hospital.  Finally, there has been outrage even over the bill prohibiting genetic selection as a reason for abortion.  Such bills are at least consistent with Orthodox Christianity (though Orthodox do debate how and when to legislate on moral issues, including abortion).  Certainly, Orthodoxy’s canon law prohibits abortion or even causing abortion.

Interestingly, it is not just here in North Dakota where abortion has risen as a hot issue.  I have recently learned that at one of our Orthodox seminaries, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, a pro-life society has begun.  I provide a link to their blog here, which I’ll likewise include in the “Related Orthodox Sites” widget:

http://www.stambrosesociety.com/blog/

The work of Dr. Jeff Bishop (at SLU, from which I earned my Ph.D.) is very fascinating in this regard.  This society did not exist while I was a student at SVS, but it has encouraged and enabled some thoughtful discussions concerning this issue.  One talk may be found here:

http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/svsvoices

Scroll down for the podcast entitled “St. Ambrose Society” for a talk given by Ian Jones, also an SVS alum, who is a doctoral candidate at Fordham.  It is a talk worth listening to and may be worth remembering as this issue continues to be debated and discussed in North Dakota, which will almost certainly happen in full force next year when voters decide on a “right to life” amendment.

The Burning of Bucyrus, North Dakota

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Bucyrus did not have an Orthodox church, but it did have a Lutheran church building.  It was also very close to land my family owns.  As many may now be aware, a wildfire just wiped this little town off the map:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/18/bucyrus-north-dakota-wildfire_n_1978693.html?utm_hp_ref=green

Bucyrus had less than 30 residents and never was very big:

http://ghostsofnorthdakota.com/category/bucyrus-nd/

Notice, in the second link, not only the beautiful pictures (no longer possible) but the significant population drop from 1950 to 1960.  This was not unusual.  During that time, many people left North Dakota, especially southwestern North Dakota.

Given the small population of Bucyrus and the slow proliferation of ghost towns in North Dakota, one might wonder what is truly lost.  Well, obviously, anyone losing his/her home loses something dear.  That goes without saying, but I also think there’s a larger more communal loss.  There is a loss of history.  There is also the loss of one more small town, for all the good that produces.  Granted, there is nearby Hettinger and there will always be small towns, but each time a small town is lost, a community is disrupted.  I, myself, grew up in small towns (Bowbells, ND, followed by Lemmon, SD, though I do remember a little bit of my pre-K years in Niche, ND as well–no memories of living in Palermo, where I lived my first year–but notice that is now a “ghost town,” too–and having visited it now and then over the years, I concur).  Small towns can be fishbowls, but they can also be neighborly and the harbingers of a good, solid work ethic.  We’re tough, we West River Dakotans, but prayers are appropriate nonetheless.  May God grant them all comfort and help in these times–everyone, from the firefighters to the sandwich makers, to those who lost their property and/or homes.

Religious Freedom After Measure 3

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Measure 3 was defeated with some ease on Tuesday.  As KVLY reported, a significant reason had to do with the $1 million of antagonistic ads from Planned Parenthood.  I also think a factor was the (surprising to me) objections of the ELCA.  The ELCA supported an earlier effort to call for our State Department to place pressure on Turkey’s government to help both the Ecumenical Patriarch and all religious minorities in Turkey.  I posted on that a while back.  So, the ELCA is hardly against religious freedom.

It seems to me that what happened was a perfect storm of slippery slope arguments that tumbled headlong into scare tactic red herring arguments combined with a lot of people not taking the time to research the measure or the issue.  The government already has a well established track record of a “compelling interest” in preventing abuse (whether child or abuse), even over allegedly religious reasons for doing so.  I must admit that I am saddened to see so many failed to realize this.  It really would only take a little thought and time but in our society today, we are overly pressed for time and so taking the time to think through something like this will be difficult for many.

Hopefully, dialogue can come out of this, so that people on both sides can work through some hang ups and this can be given another shot.  No one on either side wants women and children abused.  Nothing in this measure would have closed down anything at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Fargo.  Instead, I suspect Planned Parenthood either did this to support political allies or did this because there is a long-range hope to be able to force Roman Catholic hospitals in the state (like St. Alexis in Bismarck) to offer certain insurance coverages or even “emergency” abortions.  Perhaps there is another factor or factors I am not considering but if I’m right, I’m doubly disappointed because 1) a religiously affiliated entity should have some religious protection concerning what practices are allowable for it–with other practices being offered elsewhere and 2) those of us wanting better religious freedom protection were sacrificed on an anti-anti-contraception altar.

Inter-Faith Views on Religious Freedom on C-Span

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In my last post, I mentioned that discussions concerning religious freedom were taking place across America right now.  There is one event I should have also mentioned, but forgot.  So, I wish to highlight it now.

Recently, an inter-faith conference on religious freedom was televised on C-Span.  Fr. Chad Hatfield, the Dean and CEO of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary (www.svots.edu) gave a very nice talk as part of this (in session three, starting about 39 minutes in):

http://www.c-span.org/Events/Faith-Leaders-Meet-at-Conference-on-Religious-Freedom/10737430958/

Although I have highlighted Fr. Chad’s speech here, I would recommend that we listen to each of the speakers and the Q and A session.  In America, it IS possible to have a robust religious freedom without descending into a situation wherein one religion dominates all others and disallows freedom.  Furthermore, I’d say, it is possible to have real, true religious freedom of religion and real,  true, freedom from religion.  It’s not an easy balance, to be sure, but protecting religious freedom as a fundamental legal right does not mean forcing religion upon those who are not religious (as recent, philosophically errant TV ads against Measure 3 imply).

Religious Freedom Debates Across America and North Dakota

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As most (if not all) readers of this blog know, North Dakotans will soon have an opportunity to vote on Measure 3, which seeks to pattern North Dakotan religious freedom protection after that which already exists at the national level and in 27 other states.  [As an aside, with that in mind, I hope readers are savvy enough to note that the political ad against Measure 3 involves such an extreme case of a "slippery slope" argument that it's nearly fallen head first into a "red herring" argument.]

North Dakota is not unique.  The recent decision of the HHS has rallied many concerned religious leaders (not just Roman Catholics who oppose birth control, excepting Natural Family Planning).  Recently, prayers at commission meetings has become a source of debate and discussion in Missouri:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/lawsuit-seems-to-have-stopped-franklin-county-board-s-prayers/article_749ea9ec-d70e-57a8-9121-e257ee88f806.html

Colorado was pressing for an amendment similar to North Dakota’s but due to concerns for having the process itself bogged down in courts, the main backer in that state (Focus on the Family) has decided to look ahead to 2014 instead:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/focus-on-the-family-withdraws-religious-freedom-measure-in-colorado-74422/

Florida will vote on an amendment proposal in November.  In this case, the issue is one of government funds and recipients of those funds:

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Florida_Religious_Freedom,_Amendment_8_%282012%29

So, in sum, North Dakota is not unique in discussing and debating this issue.  We’re part of a larger national debate.  Where is the line drawn between church and state?  How is it drawn?  What does it mean to say the government cannot establish a religion and what does it mean to claim religious freedoms are fundamental (first amendment) rights?  These are questions we are all discussing.  North Dakotans often tend to view themselves as independents but on this issue, we’re just one more cog in the wheel.  What we decide definitely affects us here, and I hope we pass Measure 3, but what we decide will also affect the national conversation to some degree (even if but a small degree).

Orthodox Easter in Fargo, ND

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Although most Christians in America celebrated Easter a week ago, for Eastern Orthodox Christians, today is Easter.  In the Orthodox Tradition, Easter is called “Pascha,” Greek for Passover.  This is because for Orthodox, the Cross and the Resurrection go together as one overarching salvific event, something that might not always be so obvious, as I note in a review article of Gibson’s The Passion of Christ, here:

http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol8No2/herbelGibson.htm

Pope Gregory XIII changed the calendar for Roman Catholics late in the sixteenth century (and Protestants followed suit–an irony?), resulting in two different Easter/Pascha dates for Western and Eastern Christians.  The one notable exception of which I’m aware is the Orthodox Church in Finland which, being a state church, actually celebrates Pascha at the same time Western Christians celebrate Easter.  Otherwise, the dates normally do not align (though every few years they do).  Orthodox continue to follow the dating for Pascha/Easter established at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicea in 325, at which Pascha/Easter was determined according to the Jewish lunar calendar and Passover.  It is for this reason that Western Easter may occur prior to the Jewish Passover some years while Orthodoxy’s Pascha does not.

The Paschal service is celebrated with a service beginning at 11:30pm at night, so that at midnight, the first shouts of “Christ is risen!” may be heard.  Following the conclusion of the service in the early morning hours, Orthodox believers in Fargo share in enjoying foods from which they have fasted during Lent.

North Dakota and Measure Three

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A couple posts back I mentioned the upcoming vote concerning religious freedom in North Dakota.  Christopher Dodson, the Executive Director and General Counsel for the North Dakota Catholic Conference initially commented on the piece, but has graciously allowed me to offer his comment as a stand alone post.  I believe his clarification concerning what Amendment 3 does is important, especially to those who, like the Orthodox in North Dakota, find themselves in the religious minority.  The following are from Mr. Dodson, to whom I am grateful:

Measure 3 would set the legal standard.  Formally, that means that if someone believes their religious freedom has been unduly burdened by a law, they would seek judicial, or in some cases, administrative remedy.  The court would then determine whether a burden actually exists and whether the state has a compelling interest and whether the means are narrowly tailored.

The formal process, therefore, would be no different than it is now. The only thing changed would be the standard applied by the court.  Under the current standard, the person whose rights were infringed would have little chance of prevailing.

Informally, it acts as a preemption against undue infringement.  That is, it presumably would make lawmakers think about not infringing on religious liberties before acting.

Minot Flooding and the Orthodox Church

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The Orthodox Church in America has a parish in Minot, St. Peter the Aleut Orthodox Church.  As many readers may already know, it has been flooded.  Here is a recent email, sent earlier today by Fr. Anastassy to his parishioners:

“Esteemed Parishoners, this Sunday, July 3rd, the Divine Liturgy will be celebrated again at St. Alexius Chapel in Bismarck at 10 AM. In Minot a “reader service” will be held. For details about the service in Minot contact Mr. George Malaktaris. We need the spiritual and material support of all the members and friends of our Orthodox Community in Minot and Bismarck to be able to continue our life as a vital parish of the Orthodox Church in America to bear witness to the truth of Holy Orthodoxy in this part of the country. This flood truly is a terrible blow to the people of this region, but it is powerless against the Church, as long as the faithful continue praying and living in the Orthodox Faith. Thank you all for your love and dedication to the Church.   Igumen Anastassy, Rector of St. Peter’s Orthodox Church in Minot, North Dakota”

I should also add that I have learned that the house Fr. Anastassy rents will be demolished by the land lord.  So, it is hard to say what will have to happen to the temple itself, as the house and temple are next to each other.

Senator Tim Mathern Visits about a Recent North Dakota State Resolution

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This past Sunday (May 22nd), state Senator Tim Mathern visited our humble parish.  During his visit, he read from a letter from Tina Kaidanow, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of State to ND Secretary of State Al Jaeger.  The resolution passed by North Dakota’s legislature may be found here:

4014

Senator Mathern worked hard and Rep. Andrew Maragos (Greek Orthodox representative from Minot, North Dakota) was also very helpful.  Here is the thank you letter I had sent the senators after their vote:

4014 Thank You

The passage in the senate had occurred after some debate.  Passage in the House was simply together with other resolutions that had no direct fiscal impact.

Here are two pictures from Sen. Mathern’s visit:

Sen. Mathern reading the letter

Fr. Oliver thanking Sen. Mathern